Socialist Stanza No. 10

Three Good Friends

Three good friends met amongst the stalls

Gathered round the market cross,

Where commerce and competition

Determine profit and loss.

The first said, ‘Here people can choose

From this copious display.

Whatever they want they can have,

Just so long as they can pay.’

‘While it’s not so,’ the second replied,

‘For those too poor, that glitch

Could be cured by taxes that don’t

Impinge too much on the rich.’

The third friend had a better thought,

A simpler way to proceed,

‘Get rid of cash, prices and stalls,

Then let folk take what they need.’

D. A.

 There was no other way to deal with these men, but to break them to pieces … if you do not break them, they will break you.” – Oliver Cromwell

On 17 May 1649, three soldiers were executed on Oliver Cromwell’s orders in Burford churchyard, Oxfordshire. They belonged to a movement popularly known as the Levellers, with beliefs in civil rights and religious tolerance.



The name “Levellers,” like most party names (e.g., “Lollards,” “Anabaptists,” “Quakers,” “Whigs” and “Tories”) was originally a nickname applied in scorn and derision. The Levellers were those who demanded, so early as 1647, that the “whole body of the People” should make the people’s laws. During the Civil War, the Levellers fought on Parliament’s side, they had at first seen Cromwell as a liberator, but now saw him as a dictator. They were prepared to fight against him for their ideals and he was determined to crush them. Over 300 of them were captured by Cromwell’s troops and locked up in Burford church. Three were led out into the churchyard to be shot as ringleaders.



The Levellers were the most energetic and uncompromising faction in the English Revolution, with a short life taking shape in 1646 to be crushed by Cromwell’s dictatorship in 1649. The English Revolution was the revolution of the rising capitalist class against the monopolies and other restraints on free competition of the feudal-monarchic state in which many sections of the country gentry were capitalist, rearing sheep on land from which the peasants had been driven. Thus in 1640 they were able to combine with the merchants and lead the yeoman farmers and the artisans and apprentices of the town. 



The Levellers started as a propaganda group and transformed themselves into a party as their influence extended and the revolutionary movement mounted. The Levellers linked themselves with the rank-and-file of Cromwell’s New Model Army. They supported elections of soldier’s delegates and the agitation of the soldier’s committees which took up their grievances and favored a popular militia, democratically controlled. Most of the Agitators in the revolutionary army either belonged to the Levellers or were inspired by their ideas. Both the Cromwellians and the Levellers moved forward to a Republic. The Cromwellians wanted a regime in which sovereignty was concentrated in the hands of the large property owners. The Levellers demanded a democratic republic based upon the power of the people and responsive to their demands.



Their religious, political and economic ideas expressed the interests and outlook of the artisans, apprentices, shopkeepers and similar lower middle-class and working-class elements in the cities and the yeomen in the country districts. The”far left” was occupied by the dispossessed peasants who formed the agrarian communist sect of the Diggers who recognised that political democracy was impossible without economic democracy. However, the Diggers’ condemnation of private property in land ran counter to the aspirations of the peasant majority. By contrast, the Levellers were opposed to “making all things common,” defended the rights of private property, and called for free trade. The Levellers called for sweeping democratization of both Church and State. Among the religious reforms were full freedom of religious belief, separation of Church and State, the suppression of tithes; among the political reforms were a constitutional republic, annual election of a Parliament responsible to the people alone, general manhood suffrage; among the legal reforms, the right to a trial by jury, no star-chamber hearings, no capital punishment or imprisonment for debt; among the civil rights, freedom of the press and no license on printing. In their day such doctrines were audacious and revolutionary.



The mass petition was the principal means they used to inform and arouse the people. These petitions containing the demands of the people were widely circulated for signatures, submitted to Parliament, and backed up by meetings and demonstrations. In March 1647 a great petition was presented to the Commons. It called for the abolition of tithes, for the abolition of the Merchants Adventurers Co., for relief to imprisoned debtors and assistance to the poor, for limitations on fees of all judges, magistrates, lawyers and government officials. It demanded the abolition of the veto power of the King and the House of Lords. The Commons ordered the petition to be burnt. Lilburne who had hitherto been a fervent admirer and supporter of Cromwell broke with him for his subservience to Parliament, denounced the Parliament as a tyrant and oppressor and called for a new constitution and new elections. Lilburne, himself at one time a soldier, now turned to the army’s the rank and file. A popularly elected soldier’s Council argued about the Army’s political programme on level terms with the Generals.



Both the Cromwellians and the Levellers supported a republic but the Cromwellians wanted a regime in which power was concentrated in the hands of the large property owners. The Levellers demanded a democratic republic based upon the power of the people and responsive to their demands.



The Levellers were the first to encourage women to participate in political activity. In one of the petitions offered in their name the women asserted that they had “an equal interest with the men of the nation in its liberties and securities.” They did not go so far, however, as to demand female suffrage.



Although only active for only a few years on the stage of history, the Levellers left a durable imprint on the development of democratic thought demonstrating how a revolutionary group which itself never attains the heights of power can nevertheless profoundly affect the course of a great revolution and fertilize progressive tendencies for centuries thereafter. 



Marx and Engels knew that the Levelers were before their time and said so often, but they wrote also: 

“We find the first appearance of a really functioning Communist party in the bourgeois revolution at the moment when the constitutional monarchy is removed. The most consistent republicans, in England the Levelers, in France, Babeuf, Buonarroti, etc. are the first who proclaimed these ‘social questions.’” – The Moralising Criticism and Critical Morality.

 MAY 2023 EVENTS

 As the cost of living continues to spiral, a new report shows more than half of gig economy workers in the UK are paid below the minimum wage.

The first-of-its-kind study, led by the University of Bristol, found 52% of gig workers doing jobs ranging from data entry to food delivery were earning below the minimum wage. On average respondents were earning £8.97 per hour – around 15% below the current UK minimum wage, which rose to £10.42 this month.

More than three-quarters (76%) of survey respondents also experienced work-related insecurity and anxiety.

Lead author Dr Alex Wood, Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Future of Work at the University of Bristol Business School, said: “The findings highlight that working in the UK gig economy often entails low pay, anxiety, and stress. As food, fuel and housing costs keep rising, this group of workers are especially vulnerable and need to be more adequately remunerated and better protected.”

Equally concerning, more than a quarter (28%) felt they were risking their health or safety in doing gig work and a quarter (25%) experienced pain on the job.

When asked what would improve their situation, basic rights such as minimum wage rates, holiday and sick pay, and protection against unfair dismissal were most wanted.

Unions and platform councils (similar to works councils that exist in some European countries) to represent their needs and help influence how gig economy platforms operate and affect their working conditions also featured on their wish list. More than three-quarters of respondents believed the introduction of such bodies would bring immediate 

Dr Wood said: “A major factor contributing to low pay rates is that this work involves spending significant amounts of time waiting or looking for work while logged on to a platform. Not only is the work low paid, but it is also extremely insecure and risky.

“The self-employed who are dependent on platforms to make a living are urgently in need of labour protections to shield them against the huge power asymmetries that exist in the sector. This clearly warrants the expansion of the current ‘worker’ status to protect them.”

The study involved 510 UK gig economy workers who were surveyed last year. There was representation from across the sector, with around half being remote freelancers using platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr to pick up jobs ranging from data entry to website design. The other half comprised local drivers providing food delivery and taxi services via platforms including Deliveroo and Uber.

More than just side hustles to earn extra cash, respondents spent on average 28 hours a week undertaking gig work, comprising 60% of their total earnings.

Respondents overwhelmingly considered their work to be best described as self-employment and thought an extension of labour rights to include the self-employed would significantly improve their working lives.

This was the first research to investigate what forms of voice gig workers want. The findings suggest strong support for European style co-determination whereby worker representatives are consulted on and approve changes that impact working conditions and employment. Works councils that exist in countries like Germany could therefore provide a model for platform councils and assemblies in the gig economy to facilitate workers having a say over the decisions which affect their ability to make a living.

Brendan Burchell, Professor in Social Sciences at the University of Cambridge and co-author of the report, added: “Respondents strongly felt the creation of co-determination mechanisms would allow workers, and their representatives, to influence platform provider decisions which could instantly improve their working lives.

“These policies include elected bodies of worker representatives approving all major platform changes that impact jobs and working conditions. Our findings emphasise the potential for trade union growth in this sector, with majorities being willing to join and even organise such bodies.”

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2023/may/gig-economy-worker-research.html?ref=upstract.com

A gig economy is a labor market that relies heavily on temporary and part-time positions filled by independent contractors and freelancers rather than full-time permanent employees.

Gig workers gain flexibility and independence but little or no job security. Many employers save money by avoiding paying benefits such as health coverage and paid vacation time. Others pay for some benefits to gig workers but outsource the benefits programs and other management tasks to external agencies.

The term is borrowed from the music world, where performers book “gigs” that are single or short-term engagements at various venues.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gig-economy.asp

1 in 6 adults in the UK currently work a gig job at least once a week. For most, 71.5%, gig work makes up less than half of their income. The UK gig economy workforce is now estimated at 7.25 million. https://standout-cv.com/gig-economy-statistics

In a move that will inundate the letter pages of The Times from ‘Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, (apologies to any Socialists living there) that newspaper is reported as saying, citing sources,  that’ UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will press ahead with plans to reduce the size of the British Army despite the consequences of the Ukraine conflict and increased military spending by the government.

Infantry are out, more artillery is in.

A government source (?) said,  “We have too much infantry – a legacy of the counter-insurgency wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We need more artillery. The jury is out on whether you need main battle tanks.” 

In 2021, the Defence Ministry announced plans to decrease the number of troops from 82,000 to just over 70,000, while cutting the number of tanks from 227 to 148. However, due to the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev, the idea of downsizing has made many UK MPs and military commanders uneasy, with Patrick Sanders, the head of the army, calling it “perverse” in the context of a major conflict in Europe.

The matter is expected to be addressed in a defence command paper scheduled for release in June.

Another army source told The Times that “the main lesson from Ukraine is you need mass,” adding that “the truth is we don’t have enough infantry and we don’t have enough artillery.”

Sounds like the higher echelons of the British military are concerned for their jobs.

‘In March, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the defence budget would swell by £5 billion ($6.2 billion) over the next two years, with additional funds meant to both replenish stocks of arms sent to Ukraine and modernise the nuclear arsenal.

This comes amid warnings that the UK would not be up to the task if it had to fight with a near-peer adversary. Wallace himself said in January that the army is “hollowed out and underfunded.” In February, retired General Richard Barrons said in an op-ed for The Sun that the UK could run out of ammo within hours in case of a major conflict. He added that the British military cannot currently be regarded as a ‘top tier’ NATO force.

Amid the Ukraine conflict, numerous Western countries, including Germany, France, and Poland, have boosted their military budgets, with total military expenditure in Europe seeing the steepest year-on-year increase in at least 30 years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Institute.’

it’s not known how many cruise missiles were given to Ukraine but in 1996 the UK ordered between 700 and 1000 of them at £790,000 a throw.

Spokespersons for British capitalism were not available for comment as to whether this was a good thing or not; anything which cuts into the profits, achieved through exploitation of the workers, is a bad thing, but at the same time British capitalist interests have to be defended.

The military is mainly sourced from the working class. The majority of the armed forces personnel interests therefore lie with the rest of the working class and the abolition of capitalism.

The working class in those  countries whose capitalism’s executive committee is committing to spending more and more on weapons of destruction need also to be saying NO to capitalism. Enough is enough. The answer is not more guns, missiles, or nuclear weapons. It’s Socialism. The clock is ticking. 

 This report is taken from Russia Today, dated 14th May. 

As as already been pointed out in a previous SOYMB post, Russia Today, is, ‘a Russian state-controlled international news television network funded by the Russian government.’ Wiki. Truth, as it has been said, is the first casualty of war. The reader must therefore judge the veracity of this report.

However, should there be any accuracy in the statement issued then the potential consequences have it has to be of grave concern to everyone who opposes armed conflict wherever it occurs in the world.

Luhansk Lugansk is a city in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia. As of 2022, the population was estimated to be 397,677 (2022 est.),making Luhansk the most populous city in the In 2001, nearly half of the population was ethnically Ukrainian, and 47% was ethnically Russian.

Luhansk serves as the administrative center of Luhansk Oblast, although the  Ukrainian administration was relocated to Sievierodonet when the war in Donbas broke out following-Russian unrest and the proclamation of the Luhansk People’s Republic. In 2022, Russia declared its annexation of the region. Wiki.

“Ukraine’s military used UK-supplied long-range missiles to target civilians in the Russian city of Lugansk, resulting in several children being injured, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defence and local authorities.

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said that a Ukrainian air strike on the Poly-pack food processing factory and the Milam home goods store in central Lugansk a day earlier had used Storm Shadow missiles. The attack came despite London’s assurances that those weapons would not be used to target civilian facilities, it claimed.

Several houses were damaged and a number of people, including six children, were wounded, the ministry stated, adding that Russian aircraft shot down the Ukrainian Su-24 bomber that had conducted the strike on Lugansk, as well as an MiG-29 fighter accompanying the aircraft.

Initially, the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC), which tracks Kiev’s attacks on the Donbass, identified the projectiles that hit Lugansk, which had long been considered to be out of range of Ukrainian artillery, as Grom missiles.

Later, however, it clarified that the strike involved two Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles and a US-made ADM-160B decoy missile.

On Saturday, the JCCC claimed that Kiev fired another Storm Shadow at the village of Yubileiny, west of Lugansk. It added that the strike injured one elderly woman, damaged windows in seven houses while wrecking 25 garages, 15 cars, and a power line.”

The Lugansk People’s Republic, along with three other former Ukrainian territories, was incorporated into Russia last autumn following public referendums that saw the local population overwhelmingly support the move.

On Thursday, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed earlier media reports that the UK had provided Ukraine with low-observable Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of more than 250km (150 miles). The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the move as an “extremely hostile step by London” that “clearly confirms the unprecedented level of British involvement” in the conflict.”

 It’s reported that inflation in France accelerated in April, driven by a surge in energy prices – data published by the national statistics bureau Insee.

‘Consumer prices rose by 5.9% last month on an annual basis, up from 5.7% in March. Energy price growth soared to 6.8% in April after a 4.9% increase in March, mainly due to rising fuel costs.   

Meanwhile, the increase in gas prices eased from the March reading of 35.6%, coming in at 22.9% higher year-on-year in April.   

Food prices climbed 15% year-on-year, slightly lower than the March reading of 15.9%. The downtick was attributable to a seasonal decline in the prices of fresh goods. However, despite the slower pace of price growth, Insee economists said that soaring food costs have had a more significant impact on overall inflation than rising energy costs.   

A recent survey by market research firm Elabe showed that 43% of French consumers have cut back on buying certain food items due to inflation. 

43% reported having cut down on meat, 34% were buying less fish, and 27% had given up cakes and biscuits. According to the survey, most French consumers have had to adjust their shopping habits, with 44% opting for cheaper food and 30% now buying smaller quantities.   

In March, the French authorities introduced a so-called “anti-inflation food basket,” comprising about 50 basic items and obliged large retailers not to hike prices on these staples until June.’

 Russia Today, is, ‘a Russian state-controlled international news television network funded by the Russian government.’ Wiki. Its reporting of statements emanating from the various arms of the Russian Government should therefore be read as being one hundred per cent from the horses, or bears, mouth. 

On May 12th, under the headline, Russia warns Britain over cruise missiles, the following report appeared:

“London’s decision to supply Kiev with long-range cruise missiles is another step towards a “serious escalation” of the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The ministry called the move “a very unfriendly step” on the UK’s part, which shows London’s “unprecedented level of involvement” in the conflict.

“Carried away with geopolitical games … the UK is apparently ready to cross any red lines and bring the conflict towards a totally new level when it comes to destruction and casualties,” the Foreign Ministry’s statement read.

Russia “reserves the right to take any measures deemed necessary to neutralise a threat that may arise from Ukraine’s use of the British cruise missiles,” the ministry said, adding that those behind this “reckless step” and London’s “destructive activities” in general would be to blame for the consequences.

On Thursday, the UK confirmed it was handing several of its Storm Shadow cruise missiles over to Ukraine. The weapons can hit targets over 250km (155 miles) away.’

(‘The Storm Shadows intended targets are command, control and communications centres; airfields; ports and power stations; ammunition management and storage facilities; surface ships and submarines in port; bridges and other high value strategic targets.’ Wiki.)

 ‘Defence Secretary Ben Wallace called it a “calibrated and proportionate response” by London to the situation in Ukraine

Washington indicated on Friday that it is reluctant to follow London’s example. The US has long refused to provide Kiev with longer-range weapons such as ATACMS missiles. In March, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said it is not an option since the move would dwindle the Pentagon’s own stocks.

Western officials have reportedly said that giving Ukraine the option to attack targets inside Russian territory recognised by the US and its allies would be a major escalation of the conflict.

Kiev has long asked for longer-range weapons. President Vladimir Zelensky’s top adviser, Mikhail Podoliak, said this week that longer-range missiles could be used to strike Crimea, which Kiev considers an illegally occupied territory. The peninsula joined Russia in 2014 following a referendum.

Moscow has repeatedly warned Western nations that weapons deliveries to Ukraine make them de facto participants in the conflict – something many of them have vehemently denied.

On Thursday, the Kremlin vowed to have an “appropriate answer” to the deliveries of the British missiles.”

The US has provided Ukraine with around seventy five billion dollars worth of aid of one sort or another since the beginning of the conflict. (Kiel Institute for the World Economy).

The US has said however that it has no intention of supplying similar missiles to Ukraine.

From the Socialist Standard, June, 1985

‘I am only just recovering from the non-excitement of Norway winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Watching the show is like taking an overdose of valium – and then there was the frustration of going to the toilet and missing “our” song. All over Europe (and Israel – TV bosses aren’t too hot on geography) workers were sitting in front of their tellys and waiting for “our” song. What seems like bland light entertainment is doing its bit to encourage the sick sense of nationalism which the masters require of the wage slaves. It’s like watching international soccer – millions of workers are urged to think of “us” taking a penalty and “our” goal difference. All ideological preparation for “us” nuking Leningrad and “our” gains in central Russia. If you want to show us a football match or a boring song contest, let them tell us in advance that we’re in for a nationalist political broadcast. As for “our” song in the contest – fourth to Norway. Palmerston would never have stood for it. If I were Maggie I’d send a Task Force to Scandinavia.’

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2014/07/between-lines-praise-marx.html

 The Guardian has reported that, ‘Britain has supplied long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, becoming the first major western country to supply arms that could strike targets deep into occupied Crimea in a counteroffensive from Kyiv. Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, told MPs for the first time that the expensive missiles – costing over £2m a time – were “now going in, or are in the country itself,” and added the gift of the missiles was supported by the US.

Wallace did not say how many Storm Shadow missiles had been given to Ukraine, although it has been estimated that the UK holds a stock of between 700 and 1,000. Working with four other countries, the UK also issued a tender to buy more long-range “missiles or rockets with a range of 100-300km” (62 to 186 miles).

The US has so far declined to supply Ukraine with its own long-range missiles, amid concerns that such a move could be considered escalatory and that Ukraine could use them to strike deep into Russia’s internationally recognised borders.

But Wallace said the US was “incredibly supportive” of the UK’s decision – and said that ATACMS missiles with a with a range of 100-300km” (62 to 186 miles). which is designed to be able to strike forces below ground defensive positions. Storm Shadow have a range of “in excess of 250km” according to its manufacturer, European arms group MBDA, although those supplied are likely to be at a reduced export range of about 186 miles (300km), so the UK can comply with existing international anti-proliferation commitments.’

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/may/11/uk-sending-long-range-storm-shadow-missiles-to-ukraine-says-defence-minister-ben-wallace

Oh, that’s alright then, so long as UK is complying with international anti-proliferation commitments!

‘Britain had received assurances from the Ukrainian government that these missiles would be used only within Ukrainian sovereign territory and not inside Russia.’

Oh, that’s alright then. It’s a well known fact that governments don’t lie.

This is a very dangerous game that is being played. How much longer is the majority, the global working class,going to allow an asset owning minority play Russian roulette with their lives?

‘Russia today threatened Britain with ‘an adequate response from our military’ after the UK agreed to supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range missiles.

The missiles, which cost about £2.2million, will allow Ukraine to hit Russian troops and logistics hubs deep behind the front line in a major blow to Vladimir Putin. 

Britain had received assurances from the Ukrainian government that these missiles would be used only within Ukrainian sovereign territory and not inside Russia, multiple senior Western officials said.

Ukraine has been asking for months for long-range missiles, but support provided by Britain and other allies such as the United States has previously been limited to shorter range weapons.

But UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace today confirmed that Britain is sending the Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, a decision that prompted a furious response from the Kremlin.’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12072375/Russia-threatens-Britain-adequate-response-military-supply-missiles.html

What did TPTB think was going to be the response of the Russians?

‘The war in Ukraine has led to much sympathy and solidarity from people across Europe and beyond. And in a way, this is both understandable and heart-warming. Few want to see innocent people bombed out of their homes and turned into refugees, fleeing mass killing. The assistance people have been prepared to give Ukrainian refugees has been a testament to the basic solidarity and mutual support socialists have always said we are capable of as human beings. 

The media have largely portrayed this war as a battle of good against evil. Socialists know that wars in modern capitalist society are never quite that simple. Sometimes the motivations for war are transparently economic (eg the Gulf Wars), while at other times there is a complex geo-political element, with states manoeuvring for political advantage and seeking to extend or defend their spheres of influence (the Falklands War was closer to this). 

The Ukraine situation is complicated and most people (including us) did not expect armed conflict to actually break out. The ‘good versus evil’ scenario that is the dominant narrative doesn’t quite fit and as usual other factors are at play…’

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2022/05/ukraine-good-against-evil-or-more.html

‘It was fools like Nuland playing the great game that gave us World War I. World War III would be the last war. Washington’s drive to exploit every opportunity to establish its hegemony over the world is driving us all to nuclear war. Like Nuland, a significant percentage of the population of western Ukraine are Russophobes. I know the case for Ukrainian dislike of Russia, but Ukrainian emotions fueled with Washington’s money should not direct the course of history. No historians will be left to document how gullible and witless Ukrainians set the world up for destruction.’ SOYMB February 2014

https://soymb.com/2014/02/5-billion-from-us-to-give-ukraine.html